President orders to reinstate Brig. Priyanka Fernando

President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the Foreign Secretary to reinstate Brigadier Priyanka Fernando.

Brigadier Fernando was posted as the Minister Counsellor (Defence) attached to the Sri Lankan High Commission in London when his services were suspended over his conduct during a recent pro-LTTE demonstration in London.

Video footage of Brig. Fernando making throat-slitting gestures at protestors outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on Feb. 04 went viral and sparked social debate.

According to sources from the Presidential Secretariat, the president had criticised the move to immediately suspend Brig. Fernando without taking his story into account.

Noting that the Brigadier would be reduced to a civilian after his suspension, the president had commented that it would have led to a diplomatic issue if he was arrested by the UK police afterwards.

Sources further say that the president had also attempted to contact Brig. Fernando over the phone.